Kiera Fitzgerald

Kiera Fitzgerald is a Lecturer (Teaching) in Holocaust Education at University College London (UCL-IOE) and a PhD candidate at the University of Roehampton. Her work bridges literary heritage, public archives, and gender studies, focusing on the representation of female Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents in historical narratives and post-war literature.

Research Interests:

• Examines gender dynamics in WWII intelligence studies, particularly how femininity intersected with class, ethnicity, and religion among SOE F Section agents.
• Analyzes recurring female spy tropes in post-war literature and biographies, including agency, the 'femme fatale,' and 'othered' outsider identities.
• Explores the intersection of archival science and literary representation through case studies of Vera Atkins, Pearl Cornioley, Virginia Hall, and Noor Inayat Khan.

Scientific Awards & Grants:

• Techne AHRC Doctoral Studentship: Funded research project on women's roles in Britain's Special Operations Executive.

Recent Academic Activities:

• Contributor to 'MI5: Official Secrets' public engagement initiative (Apr–Sep 2025).
• Presented at 'History and Archives in Practice 2024' on tracking female agency in espionage (Mar 2024).
• Participated in 'Women & War' academic conference (Mar 2024).
• Speaker at The National Archives' Virtual Research Hub on WWII historical legacies (Mar 2024).